42 seconds.

That’s the average length of Jesus’ recorded conversations. Jesus changed the world, person by person, 42 seconds at a time, and so can we.

About the Book

What if followers of Jesus were better equipped to live like Jesus, embracing, authentically, every interaction?

42 Seconds helps you to live and speak like Jesus in every conversation throughout your day — at the mailbox, over the fence, and in the grocery store. Taking cues from Jesus’ example, and his own stories, Carl Medearis emboldens you with these simple Kingdom truths so you can share your life in Jesus with others in the most natural ways.

Be kind.

It’s basically impossible to introduce our neighbors and coworkers to Jesus if we’re not kind to them.

Be present.

Being present for God may be the key to life.

Be brave.

It will stretch your faith.

Be Jesus.

As believers, his actual presence is in us, which means that we can be the actual presence of Jesus to others.

Resources

Check out the following resources to use alongside 42 Seconds with your church, book club, small group, or other gathering.

And, we’d love to hear from you regarding other resources you think would be helpful to you and your group!

Meet Carl Medearis

Carl Medearis is an international expert in Arab-American and Muslim-Christian relations. He acts as a catalyst for movements in the Middle East to promote peace-making and cultural, political, and religious dialogue for reconciliation. He works with leaders in the West and in the Arab world with the hope of seeing them experience full and fruitful relationships through the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

We hope you’ll consider joining Carl and his wife, Chris, at one of the annual Simply Jesus Gatherings. Simply Jesus began in 2013 as a conversational space and growing community seeking to inspire people of all backgrounds to consider, wonder, and dialogue about the person, life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

Praise for 42 Seconds

“Jesus is the most disruptive person who ever lived, because he’s always focused on growth, not on perpetuating the status quo. Likewise, my Jesus-loving friend Carl Medearis is one of the most disruptive people I’ve ever met—you’ll see what I mean when you read 42 Seconds. These short bursts of truth, at times hilarious and at times profound, will move you deeper into a lifestyle that produces fruit in others’ lives. Listen and learn from Carl, and you’ll leave the status quo behind for something like an epic adventure.” Rick LawrenceAuthor of The Jesus-Centered Life, General Editor of the Jesus-Centered Bible, and host of the podcast “Paying Ridiculous Attention to Jesus”

“I am a big fan of Carl Medearis. He’s always fun yet challenging, provocative yet deeply biblical. In 42 Seconds, he is no different. Exploring the art of getting to the point with people just like Jesus does is so necessary in our present cultural moment. You will be blessed and challenged by this book.” Daniel FuscoPastor of Crossroads Community Church (Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR) and author of Upward, Inward, Outward and Honestly

“Carl Medearis does it again. He brings enormous ideas down to earth where we all live and helps us to see how—as Dallas Willard used to say—“We can live our lives the way Jesus would live our lives . . . if Jesus had our lives to live.” And Jesus is supposed to have our lives to live. Carl brings amazingly simple, insightful, and practical suggestions directly from the life of Jesus . . . and offers them to us to practice in our real, everyday lives.” Bart TarmanSpeaker, artist, former chaplain of Westmont College

“It’s amazing how often our words and actions can make the Good News Jesus proclaimed and embodied sound and look like Bad News. Our world is in desperate need of Jesus people to take seriously our invitation to speak, think, and act in ways reflective of the One we follow. In this book, Carl offers a relatable, thoughtful, and extremely tangible guide for how to not only say we believe in the Good News but narrate it with our lives.” Jon HuckinsPastor, coauthor of Mending the Divides

“Thank you Carl Medearis for helping the Church untangle herself from the anxiety of evangelism and the imposter syndrome of apologetics and proving a beautifully practical and Jesus-centered way to embody the gospel! 42 Seconds helps ordinary Jesus followers learn how to both speak and also become good news to the people around us.” Bruxy CaveyTeaching Pastor at The Meeting House, author of The End of Religion and ReUnion: the Good News of Jesus for Seekers, Saints, and Sinners

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